Benefits of Registering Co-ops & Internships

Wright State University students who are working in field-related, part-time or full-time jobs have the opportunity to register the experience with the university as part of their program of study.

The course registration will appear on the course transcript as Cooperative Education with a CPE prefix.

To participate, students must meet the eligibility requirements as set by Career Services, the student's academic department, and the university.

Top Ten Reasons to Register Your Work Experience

Sometimes there's no other option if you want the job.

Employers sometimes require registration. For some employers, enrollment in a university's cooperative education or internship course is a prerequisite to employment.

You want to be competitive in your job search.

The appearance of co-op and internship courses on your transcript makes you a better-looking and more competitive candidate when you are being checked out by employers and graduate schools, who are often looking for co-op and internship experience as a deciding factor. Your CPE courses are evidence of valid, field-related experience, an ability to apply your academic knowledge in a practical way to real world settings, and your ability to balance competing priorities.

You want your work experience recognized by Ohio law.

By Ohio law, a co-op employee designation is not officially recognized unless the student is enrolled in the university while working. CPE 0910 (full-time co-op) or CPE 0920 (part-time co-op) is the means by which the student maintains enrollment.

You want to drive legally and have medical care paid by insurance.

Frequently, insurance companies require verification of full-time enrollment. If you are not taking classes but you are registered for full-time co-op, the university can provide verification of full-time student status.

You must be enrolled in the university to maintain your student status.

CPE is a means by which you may maintain enrollment at Wright State. Enrollment allows you to live in the Residence Halls, to use the Computer Labs and Campus Recreation Facilities, and to keep your student e-mail account active.

Avoid losing your loan deferment.

Some loans require full-time student status in order to maintain the deferment on repayment. If you are not enrolled in CPE or the required number of courses, then you risk being required to start repaying your loans. Check with your lenders to determine the terms of your loan.

You want to preserve your physical and legal health.

If you register for full time CPE, you are considered a full time student and so retain some privileges enjoyed by traditional full-time students, like use of the fitness center and eligibility for student health services and student legal services.

You want an official record of your work history.

When you register through Career Services, your work experience appears on your transcript. Having your field-related experience officially represented on your transcript eases your task of documenting the jobs.

Career Services makes it easy.

Career Services will manage the registration paperwork that documents your co-op experiences on your official transcript.

The registration is free!

If you enroll in the CPE course, you do not pay tuition for that course, as CPE is a registration option carrying no academic credit. This is a good option if you are not taking classes, or if you do not need elective hours.

Beyond the Top Ten Reasons, there are other advantages to registering your field-related experience with Career Services.

Our advisers can share helpful information with you that we gather directly from employers and other students.

We know the type of experience employers seek and how to market it on a résumé.

Alumni and students tell us how much they appreciate the many services our office provides, including career exploration assistance, résumé development, and job search support.